The company began releasing the OWL 6.0 series earlier this year when they migrated to a Microsoft Azure hosting environment. As Managing Member Chris Dalessandri explains, "The migration to Microsoft Azure is important because it makes the OWL TMS not only more responsive and scalable, but also allows us to offer users outside the U.S. the ability to designate the physical location of their server. Azure also allows the OWL Hosting Team to continue to expand the OWL TMS with some exciting new features for our users."

One direct result of the move to Microsoft's Azure hosting environment is the addition of single sign on technology. This premium feature allows OWL Hosted users to integrate with their federated login system to verify a test taker's credentials. This is often requested by educational users. Another premium feature users may add to their subscription is webcam test session monitoring. This is fast becoming a popular test integrity feature that employs the test taker's camera during a test session to confirm identification and monitor the physical environment by capturing random snapshots.

Many new standard features and enhancements are available to OWL Hosted users at all subscription levels. One example is improved rendering of mathematical and scientific equations for assessment providers using notation systems like LaTex, MathML or AsciiMath. These users are now able paste their code into the OWL Test Builder so that it can be more easily included throughout their OWL online activities. Another enhancement is the expansion of OWL's Auto Registration feature. This option has been expanded to give users more control over self-registration allowing them to add multiple targets for each registration code.

Enhancements to OWL Tester, the module of the OWL TMS that delivers online activities to the examinee, include image pop-out functionality and more frequent auto-saving of student response data. The image pop-out function means that test takers can closely examine images by enlarging them in a new window. This feature ideal for tests that include detailed images such as sample correspondence, comics or maps. Response auto-saving entails writing examinee input to the database concurrent with entering their response rather than upon an item's completion.

"Our goal for this release was to take advantage of the flexibility of our hosting platform to add some features that our users have been requesting," explains Mr. Dalessandri. "With these new features, the OWL TMS continues to be responsive to industry demands for advancement in online assessment functions while maintaining the stability and reliability that OWL users expect."

About OWL Testing SoftwareOWL Testing Software is a leading provider of enterprise-level test management systems to academia, business and government organizations. For more than 17 years, the OWL Test Management System has been the proven online assessment solution to some of the world's finest organizations. Built as a web-based solution for test creation, administration, and management; the OWL Test Management System (TMS) is a flexible online test builder that can be applied to any learning, assessment, or certification situation. With OWL you can easily incorporate multimedia to create items that assess all four communication skills – speaking, listening, reading and writing. OWL is available as licensed software, hosted subscription or a dedicated hosted solution to meet the needs of any global organization concerned with enhancing the assessment process and improving outcomes. Please visit OWL Testing Software at www.owlts.com for more information.